Meanwhile, councillors in Hartlepool will tomorrow hear more details from Able UK on its claims it has planning permission to create a dry dock at Graythorp to safely break-up the ships.

It had planned to use planning permission granted in 1997 but Hartlepool Council officers said last year they did not believe that permission was still 'live'.

Last month the council's planning committee, after hearing from officers and inspecting paperwork submitted by Able UK, backed up that view and told Able if it wanted to build a dock it would need to reapply for permission.